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Chinese military activity near Taiwan unlikely ahead of island’s elections, expert says

Taiwan’s presidential election and elections to the Legislative Yuan, the island's unicameral legislature, are slated for January 13

HONG KONG, January 11. /TASS/. China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) will likely refrain from carrying out any large-scale military activity in the vicinity of Taiwan ahead of the January 13 elections on the island, as such moves could boost the popularity of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Ming-Shih Shen, head of the Division of National Security Research at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research of Taiwan, told TASS.

"I think that in the absence of any radical statements or provocative actions on the part of Taiwan, China will not go for any large-scale military activities since this may have a boomerang effect and thus allow the Democratic Progressive Party to win more votes. There have been many such examples in the past," the academic noted.

Taiwan’s presidential election and elections to the Legislative Yuan, the island's unicameral legislature, are slated for January 13. Since 2016, the post of the island's chief executive has been held by Tsai Ing-wen of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Her second and final term expires in 2024.

The favorite in the presidential race is incumbent Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, also a representative of the DPP, who tops opinion polls. The two opposition candidates are Ko Wen-je, the leader of the centrist Taiwan People's Party, and Hou Yu-ih, a politician from the pro-mainland China Kuomintang.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the Kuomintang’s remaining forces headed by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) were defeated in the Chinese Civil War and took refuge on the island.

Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed before the Communists took over the mainland. According to China’s official position, which is supported by most countries, including Russia, the island of Taiwan is one of China’s provinces.

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